"Automation describes a wide range of technologies that reduce human intervention in processes, namely by predetermining decision criteria, subprocess relationships, and related actions, as well as embodying those predeterminations in machines."
Incorporating machinery and robots into the manufacturing process.
Programmable Logic Controllers (PLCs): PLCs are electronic devices used in automation to control various manufacturing processes such as assembly, production, and packaging.
Sensors and Actuators: Sensors detect changes in the environment and transmit signals to actuator devices which initiate an appropriate action based on the given signal.
Robotics: Robotics is a branch of automation that deals with designing, building and operating robots that can replace human workers in repetitive and hazardous manufacturing tasks.
Industrial Networking: Network protocols and communication standards used in automation between different manufacturing machines and devices with the aim of achieving seamless communication between them.
Human-Machine Interface (HMI): The term refers to a system of communication between humans and machines used to interact with different manufacturing equipment interfaces used in industrial automation.
Manufacturing Execution Systems (MES): Manufacturing execution systems are software systems used to monitor and manage different manufacturing processes by providing transparent visibility over the production status and automating data tracking.
Lean Manufacturing Processes: Lean is a production method that aims to minimize waste, reduce costs, and increase efficiency in manufacturing processes.
Quality Control: Quality control is a process used in automation to inspect, test and verify the quality of manufactured products in accordance with regulatory requirements.
Statistical Process Control (SPC): SPC is a method used to control manufacturing processes by identifying significant variations and implementing corrective actions to maintain consistent product quality.
Computer-Aided Design (CAD): CAD refers to the use of computer software to aid in the design and drafting of production line layouts and machine design.
Computer-Aided Manufacturing (CAM): CAM refers to the use of software to control machines to perform manufacturing operations automatically based on CAD models.
Internet of Things (IoT): IoT is the interconnection of physical devices such as sensors, actuators, and machines with the internet, enabling real-time monitoring and management of manufacturing processes.
Virtual Reality (VR): VR is a technology used in manufacturing industries to simulate and visualize different production line scenarios before the actual implementation.
Augmented Reality (AR): AR is a technology used to provide real-time digital data overlays onto physical objects to assist with manufacturing tasks.
Big Data and Analytics: Big data and analytics refer to the collection, processing, and analysis of vast amounts of data produced by manufacturing machines to drive insights and improve efficiency.
Machine Learning (ML): ML is a subset of artificial intelligence that enables machines to learn and self-improve through data analysis and pattern recognition.
Artificial Intelligence (AI): AI allows machines to perform cognitive functions such as decision making, problem-solving, and perception, which can be used in manufacturing for predictive maintenance, quality control, and improved manufacturing performance.
Robotics Automation: The use of robots to carry out specific tasks in manufacturing plants.
Programmable Automation: The use of computer-controlled machines to accomplish specific tasks.
Fixed Automation: The use of machines designed to carry out one specific task repeatedly.
Flexible Automation: The use of machines designed to perform more than one task and can be easily reprogrammed.
Numerical Control (NC) Automation: The use of pre-programmed instructions for machines to perform specific tasks.
Computer-Aided Manufacturing (CAM): The use of computers to control and monitor manufacturing processes.
Computer-Integrated Manufacturing (CIM): The integration of computer systems to control all aspects of the manufacturing process.
Lean Manufacturing: The process of using less material, labor, and resources to produce products while reducing waste.
Just In Time (JIT) Manufacturing: A production system focused on delivering the right amount of products or components to the production line at the right time.
Automated Guided Vehicles (AGVs): Self-contained vehicles used to transport materials or equipment within a manufacturing plant.
Material Handling Automation: The use of equipment to move materials throughout the manufacturing process.
Assembly Automation: The use of machines and equipment to assemble parts into finished products.
Inspection Automation: The use of machines to inspect products for quality control and to ensure consistency.
Packaging Automation: The use of machines and equipment to package finished products.
Testing Automation: The use of automated testing systems to check the performance of products.
"The benefit of automation includes labor savings, reducing waste, savings in electricity costs, savings in material costs, and improvements to quality, accuracy, and precision."
"Automation has been achieved by various means including mechanical, hydraulic, pneumatic, electrical, electronic devices, and computers, usually in combination."
"Examples range from a household thermostat controlling a boiler to a large industrial control system with tens of thousands of input measurements and output control signals."
"Automation has also found a home in the banking industry."
"The mathematical basis of control theory was begun in the 18th century and advanced rapidly in the 20th."
"The term automation, inspired by the earlier word automatic (coming from automaton), was not widely used before 1947."
"Ford established an automation department in 1947."
"In the simplest type of an automatic control loop, a controller compares a measured value of a process with a desired set value and processes the resulting error signal to change some input to the process, in such a way that the process stays at its set point despite disturbances."
"The industry was rapidly adopting feedback controllers, which were introduced in the 1930s."
"The World Bank's World Development Report of 2019 shows evidence that the new industries and jobs in the technology sector outweigh the economic effects of workers being displaced by automation."
"Job losses and downward mobility blamed on automation have been cited as one of many factors in the resurgence of nationalist, protectionist and populist politics in the US, UK and France, among other countries since the 2010s."
"Automation reduces human intervention in processes by predetermining decision criteria, subprocess relationships, and related actions, as well as embodying those predeterminations in machines."
"Complicated systems, such as modern factories, airplanes, and ships typically use combinations of all these techniques."
"Automation includes the use of various equipment and control systems such as machinery, processes in factories, boilers, and heat-treating ovens, switching on telephone networks, steering, and stabilization of ships, aircraft, and other applications and vehicles with reduced human intervention."
"A closed-loop control system consists of a controller and a process."
"Automation contributes to labor savings by reducing the need for human intervention in various processes."
"Automation leads to savings in electricity costs and material costs due to improved efficiency and reduced waste."
"Automation has found applications in industries ranging from manufacturing to telecommunications and transportation."
"Automation improves quality, accuracy, and precision by implementing predetermined criteria and actions in machines, reducing the possibilities of human error."